for the US, the end draws closer

Thursday

Jun 27, 2013 at 12:10 PM

Amongst a large coterie of constitutional lawyers, this week’s decisions by the United States Supreme Court mark a milestone in what appears to be an increasingly likely dissolution of this country. Odd that in the same week the Court declared the end of Reconstruction the Court also recognized the viability of two states existing side by side, offering different versions and visions of rights and responsibilities.

American liberals really shouldn’t be thrilled by what the Supreme Court did yesterday. Yes, gays in California can marry, and married gay citizens will have their federal rights, such as they are, but the Court also essentially threw out full faith and credit, and, by the way, it overturned Roe v. Wade yesterday. Read the decision. What the Court said is that citizens may have rights, and they have a right to those rights, but not everywhere. Which means that if you want to marry a same sex partner, you can move to Massachusetts. Well, under that same logic, abortion need not be legal in every state. The Texas legislature has already jumped to that conclusion. And since full faith and credit no longer applies, once you have determined which set of rights will guide your life, you pretty much have to stay put. You are no longer free to move about the country. State nullification of federal statutes has been accelerating at a massive rate in the past five years–in blue states as well as red states when it comes to gun issues. My guess is that within five years, each state will be operating within its own sphere of patchwork laws, unfathomable across the border. Soon, we will all have an app. on our smart phones that tells us which states protect which rights and so on. And where to get sushi too. Its really only a matter of time until those states who adopt certain rights and those who don’t will realize that existing within separate nationhood makes the most sense.

We saw in 1861. The pattern which has become increasingly more evident since 2008 is hardening. The only remaining question is: who gets custody of our nukes? Don’t think that global leaders don’t see this coming. Soon, Vermont may be joining the nuclear club, so why should Iran disarm now?

If you view the last 100 years as a time of social progress, welcome back to 1856.

Rob Meltzer

Amongst a large coterie of constitutional lawyers, this week’s decisions by the United States Supreme Court mark a milestone in what appears to be an increasingly likely dissolution of this country. Odd that in the same week the Court declared the end of Reconstruction the Court also recognized the viability of two states existing side by side, offering different versions and visions of rights and responsibilities.

American liberals really shouldn’t be thrilled by what the Supreme Court did yesterday. Yes, gays in California can marry, and married gay citizens will have their federal rights, such as they are, but the Court also essentially threw out full faith and credit, and, by the way, it overturned Roe v. Wade yesterday. Read the decision. What the Court said is that citizens may have rights, and they have a right to those rights, but not everywhere. Which means that if you want to marry a same sex partner, you can move to Massachusetts. Well, under that same logic, abortion need not be legal in every state. The Texas legislature has already jumped to that conclusion. And since full faith and credit no longer applies, once you have determined which set of rights will guide your life, you pretty much have to stay put. You are no longer free to move about the country. State nullification of federal statutes has been accelerating at a massive rate in the past five years–in blue states as well as red states when it comes to gun issues. My guess is that within five years, each state will be operating within its own sphere of patchwork laws, unfathomable across the border. Soon, we will all have an app. on our smart phones that tells us which states protect which rights and so on. And where to get sushi too. Its really only a matter of time until those states who adopt certain rights and those who don’t will realize that existing within separate nationhood makes the most sense.

We saw in 1861. The pattern which has become increasingly more evident since 2008 is hardening. The only remaining question is: who gets custody of our nukes? Don’t think that global leaders don’t see this coming. Soon, Vermont may be joining the nuclear club, so why should Iran disarm now?

If you view the last 100 years as a time of social progress, welcome back to 1856.